March 6 - 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

March 6 - 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Paul and his friends left Thessalonica in a hurry because they were accused of defying Caesar’s decrees … they were accused of acting unjustly.  People had stopped believing in idols and Paul was accused of leading them astray, by encouraging them to act against their gods and against the name of Caesar.

These accusations created riotous actions on the part of the community of Thessalonica.  If news of this got to Rome, it could bring down trouble on them. It also sent waves throughout the business community, when some of the greatest trade centered on idol worship.

Paul called on two witnesses to attest to his righteous behavior.  He called on the Thessalonians themselves as a witness to what could be seen and then he called on God as a witness to that which was unseen.

He and his fellow missionaries were blameless.  They had kept the laws of both man and God. They had done nothing illegal, nor had the behaved in any improper manner against God.  Now that they were gone, though, he needed to stop some of the gossip that was occurring around this church regarding his behavior, so the church itself could continue to grow.